TASMANIA'S PULP MILL    

In 2002, the 5 year review of the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement confirmed that timber products both solid wood and pulp wood were produced from sustainably managed forests. Key findings of the Review of the Regional Forest Agreement were:

•  Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative Reserve System
•  Ecological Sustainable Forest Management
•  Opportunities for Industry Development

The RFA included:

• 95% High Quality Wilderness Protected
• Over 40% Native Forest Reserved
• High Conservation Value and Old Growth Forest reserved
• Permanent Forest Estate established
• Sustainable yield of saw logs and pulp wood

In 2003 the Tasmanian  Government tasked Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) to update Commonwealth emission guidelines for a pulp mill.

In October 2004 these new Guidelines were Approved (after public inquiry and Agency submissions),

Gunns responded to the release of the guidelines by submitting  a proposal  for an elemental chlorine free mill to be sited in Northern Tasmania to Government.

In December 2004, Gunns Pulp mill declared a Project of State Significance. The RPDC was tasked to produce an integrated assessment report and issued the attached time line.

In March 2007 Gunns withdrew from the RPDC process advising the Australian Stock exchange that a lack of certainty over an end date for the approval process necessitated this action.

As can be seen by the flow chart the optional public hearing had yet to be held prior to a draft assessment report and at a directions hearing in February the RPDC indicated there was little likelihood of the assessment report by November or indeed any time in 2007.

Both House of the Tasmanian Parliament then approved the Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007 that established a new assessment process for the project. This process requiring approval of both Houses of Tasmania’s Parliament. In addition to protect Commonwealth environment values the project required the Federal Minister for the Environment’s approval.

Tasmanian Parliamentary approval was given on 30 August 2007, The Federal Minister approved the project on 4 October 2007

The RPDC assessment process started to unravel at a Directions Hearing when the Greens political party challenged the appropriateness of Dr Warwick Ravery being part of the assessment panel.

Dr Warwick Raverty is a Senior Principal Research Scientist, Dr Raverty has over 25 years experience in the pulp and paper industry. Dr Raverty has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Melbourne and has been a research manager and senior principal research scientist in the pulp and paper research group of Ensis (the forestry and forest products joint venture between CSIRO and Scion of New Zealand).

Since resigning from the assessment panel, acting in a private capacity, he has campaigned against the siting of the Pulp Mill at Bell Bay.